Telephone-switch



(No Model.)

Am. W'. MEYER.

TELEPHONE SWITCH.

Patented Apr. -3.0, 1895.

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NITED TSTAT-13s PATENT QFFICE. i

ALBERT F. MEYER, OF BLUE ISLAND, ILLINOIS.

TELEPHONE-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 538,454, dated April 30, 1895.

` Approfitta sied January 11, 1895. serial No, 534,520. l on moda.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT F. W. MEYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Blue Island, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Telephone-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in lthe switch-mechanism employed in a telephone for producing, at will,the communicative or non-conductive condition of the mainline circuit between instruments thereon, and which circuit is commonly maintained normally open at the instru ment by the weight of the suspended receiver on the spring-hook or support connected with the switch and closed by the contact produced by the recoil of the spring-hook or support on removing therefrom the receiver.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows my improved switch mechanism, with its inclosing-case removed,in front elevation in circuit with the other features of an ordinary telephone represented diagrammatically; and Fig. 2 is a section through the switch mechanism, taken at the line 2 on Fig. l and viewed in the direction of the arrow, and showing the inclosing-case and receiversupport in position.

As shown, my improved switch-mechanism attachment is represented in full operative size.

shape of some insulating material, such as hardrubber or vulcanite, though it may be of other shape and of metal, when the parts it supports would be suitably insulated. On the base, preferably at its center, is a rigid post r carrying a switch-lever B fulcrumed between its extremities upon the post at a sleeve p extending from the lever to surround the post, the lever being controlled by a spring q, represented as an expansion coiled-spring tending to force, in the direction away from it, the end of the switch-lever with which it is connected. Thev switch-lever B which is essentially an electrically non-conductinglever, may be formed entirely of insulating material, or, if formed of metal, it should carry insulating pieces at points o, o', o2 and o3 where it operates to produce electrical contacts, as hereinafter described.

C and D are the terminals for the branches Ais the base, which I prefer to form in diskf o" and 002 of the incoming end of the linewire said terminals being shown as contact-posts, though they may comprise any other suitable species of contacts; and one end of the switch-lever extends between these terminals and is there ianked by contacts C and D', shown in the form of leaf-springs proceeding, respectively, from metallic heads n and n, or binding-posts. The contact C forms a separating connection in the branch m', which proceeds from the binding-post fn through the receiver, indicated at E, and thence through the secondary winding w of the inductioncoil, indicated at F, to ground (or to the mainline). The contact D forms a separating con` nection in the branch x2, which proceeds from the binding-post 'n' through the magnetogenerator, indicated at G, and thence through the call-bell, indicated at I-I, to ground (or to the main-line).

I is the support on which to suspend the receiver E, and which is shown as an arm bifurcated at one end and fastened at its opposite end to the spring-controlled sleeve p.

Where the character of telephone to which my improved switch-mechanism is applied is a-magneto-telephone employing no local primary circuit, and wherein the receiver may also serve as a transmitter, the parts thus described are all that are necessary to my improvement. Then when the receiver is suspended on the support I, its weight holds the switch-lever B, against the resistance of the spring q, at the point o against the free end of the contact-spring D and forces the latter against the contact D to maintain normally closed the circuit on the line @c2 containing the magneto -generator and the bell H; whereas, when the receiver is taken down from its support, the spring q forces the switch-lever, at its point 0', against the spring C to bind the latter against the contact C (and thus open the circuit at the spring-contact D), thereby closing the circuit on the line containing the receiver E. As shown, however, my improved switch-mechanism is applied to the class of telephone-instrument provided with a local primary circuit coinprising the local battery K having one pole connected by a wire with a contact L (post) on the base A adjacent to the point 0l2 on an end of the switch-lever B and between which and the post is a contact-spring L proceed- IOO ing from a binding-post 'n2 o xrtheA basefA. From the opposite pole ofthe battery `K leads the Wire t' through the transmitter, indicated at M, and thence through the primary Winding of the induction-coil F to the bindingpost n2. Then, when the Weight offthe receiver E is exerted on the support I, it holds the switch-lever B in the position-of releasing not only the spring-contact C but also the spring-contact L', thus normally maintaining open the` local-,battery circu-it as 'well @as the receiver-circuit or', While closing the circuitV 002 at D, D'; and on takingdown the receiver, the spring q causes the switch-lever to make the contacts at C, C', and atL,lL'.

VMy improvedswitch-mechanism, thus described, should be i provided `with a cover, shown as `a shield or cap N, Which may be formed of metal, the cap being shown to be fastened in itsposition ofcovering the switchinechanism-iby causing the, receiver-support I tobeat-against Eit about the 1 sleeveip 4and post @which pass through the top ot the cap, the receiversupport being fastened by a washer Z held by a screw Z' inserted into the internally screw-threaded outer-end` portion ot the post o".

To apply my improved attachment in `operative position onfa telephone-instrument it may, obviously,.bejfastened -in any convenient position on: the outside'of the case of the instrument, tory-for that matter, elsewhere; and the Wire connect-ions `may readily; be made with the proper terminal-contacts on the base A on removing the shield N, which is easily removable and,l replaceable. -Moreover, :it will be noticed that, by theconstruction of myimproved switch-mechanism, there is no point, except at the -nducticn coil, where the current on the local-battery circuit `and thaton the main-line circuit can come together, thus preventing the weakeningor counteracting and confusingeiectfof: the one current upon the other, and theconsequent impairmentof theclearnesslin transmission i of sound Where theydo come togetheriat the metallic part-of the switch-lever.

My improvementj providesf for absolutely insulating or maintaining entirely separate from each other, the `main-lineor secondary and local-battery or primary currents.

Regarded simply asian outside-attachment for a telephone-instrument my `improvement may involve, Withoutideparture from my invention,ranyconstructionlof the switch-device different from that shown `.and described and dierently operating.

What I claim asnew, and desire to secure `by Letters Patent, is-

:base 'carrying main-lline terminala'yielding contacts connecting said termmals 1n the main-line or to ground respectively through andr the signaling-instrument circuit, a localbattery terminal and a yielding contact connecti-ng it-wiith the transmitter-circuit, and a spring-controlled electrically non-conductive switch-lever provided with a support for the receiverand extending-at .one-end. between the contacts so connecting said main-line terminals and atx-itsv opposite end adjacent to the contact so connecting the local-battery terminal, whereby turni-ng said-lever i-neither direction; forces onesaid t contactwaga-inst an :adjacent main-line terminal and-releases the `other from the' terminalaadj acent .to it, land controls thesaidicontactadjacent1` toA its-opposite en d` to forceliit against or release it from the adjacent terminal, according to the direction o turn-ing. the leven-substantially `as described.

2. A telephone-switch=device comprising, in combination,y afbase-A carryingthe mainline terminals 0,1%, connected f by a contactspring C', the main-line terminals 13,01', conyinected byia contact-spring- Dandthe local- :circuit-terminals Invii-connected -bya contactspring L', andea spring-controlled electrically V'non-conducting switch-lever B fulcru med ibetween its extremities-onlsaid.base to extend at one end between the free-ends ofsaid contact-springs C', D' and at itsoppositeend to the treelendl ofi-said"contact-springiL and provided with Va support 4:t'or `the receiver, substantiallyas and forthe rpurpose set forth.

`3. i Ai telephone-switch `device comprising, in combinatiomabaseA carrying the mainline terminals (La, connected by a contact- `spring C', the main-line `terminals D,/L', connected by a contactspring Dhand` fthe localcircuit terminals Lm?, connected by a contactspring L', a ,post r extending frcmfsaid ibase, =an electrically non-conducting 'spring-controlled switch-lever B provided with a sleeve p by which t-is` journaledionsaidpost to extend at one end between the free endsof said contact-springs GQD'andat/its opposite end tol the. free end of-saidcontact-spring L', a -capN for the switch-mechanismfon-said base, and` a receiver-support i I fastened on `said whole being constructed` and. arranged to opcrate,substantially-asdescribed.

t ALBERT F. EV. 'MEYER In presence ot- J. N. I-IANsoN,

M. J. FROST.

the secondary Winding of the induction-coil ,1. A telephone-switch `device comprising a 6o IOO IIO

sleeve andi` confining4 thecap: iny place, the V 

